Keeping Up With Technology

Higher MDO Draw Ratios

The first machine-direction orienter (MDO) from Windmoeller & Hoelscher in Germany (U.S. office in Lincoln, R.I.), is capable of higher stretch ratios than the 10:1 limit typical of other MDO units.

The first machine-direction orienter (MDO) from Windmoeller & Hoelscher in Germany (U.S. office in Lincoln, R.I.), is capable of higher stretch ratios than the 10:1 limit typical of other MDO units. The new unit was developed by W&H with consultant Eric Hatfield of MDO Engineering in Cincinnati for Eclipse Film Technologies, a Cincinnati start-up company offering specialty MDO films and sheet designed for downgauging. W&H's high-tech MDO unit offers pushbutton automatic threading of multiple web paths, including multiple draw and annealing variations. W&H's MDO also offers 40-100% more annealing capability than other commercial units, Hatfield says, including a combination of larger-diameter annealing rolls and more of them. Eclipse's MDO is further customized to allow it to orient a wide range of materials from polyesters and polyolefins to biopolymers and sheet up to 50-60 mil thick, says Eclipse technical director Ryan Breese. W&H showed an MDO light annealing station for removing the bagginess in film (1.1:1 draw ratio) at an open house during the K Show in Germany last month. W&H: (401) 3332770/www.whcorp.com . MDO Engineering: (513) 703-8524 . e-mail:erichat@aol.com